Door-controlling mechanism



1. B.-'HARR|S. I DOOR CONTROLLING MECHANISM. AP'PLUfATION FILED NOV.26,1920- Patented Sept. 26, 1922 I v I V F Patented Sept. 26, 1922..

JOSEPH B. HAREiS, or orlnvnnaivn, onro.

DOOR-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Application filed November 26,1920. Serial No. 426,476.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Door-Controls ling Mechanism, of which ,the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive but etlicient device by which a door may be closed without slamming, or held open at any desired position.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts shown in the drawing and hereinafter described and pointed out definitely in the appended claims.

in the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device which embodies the invention; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the cylinder of the device; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of said cylin der in the plane of line 33 on Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of the cylinder.

Referring to the parts by reference characters, 10 represents the cylinder having a wing or wings 11 by which it maybe secured to a door, with its axis in a vertical position. A rotatable shaft 12 passes axially through the cylinder, and is rotatably mounted in the ends thereof through which ends the shaft'projects' On the upper projecting end of said shaft a pinion 13 is fixed, which pinion meshes with a gear 14 which is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the cylinder. One of the toggle arms 15, such as are commonly used on door closing devices of this general character, is fixed to this gear 14-, and the other toggle arm 16 which is pivoted to the arm 15, is pivoted at its other end to a bracket 16 by means of which it may be secured to a door casing.

The shaft 12 is formed with a steep spiral groove 12. A nut 20 embraces the spirally grooved shaft and has an operative engagement with the groove thereof. Th1s nut is fixed to a plunger plate 21, that is somewhat loosely fitted within the cylinder, and is movable lengthwise therein, but can not rotate. To produce this action the plunger plate is provided with one or more tongues 22 which engage lIl long1tud1nal grooves 23in the inner surface of the cyl- 1nder.

A coil spring 25 is placed within the cylinder and is normally slightly compressed between the upper end of the cylinder and said plunger plate. 1 v

When one opens a door to which this device is secured the toggle arms 15, 16, will through the described mechanism, cause the turning of the shaft 12; and the turning of this shaft in the direction in which it will be turned when the door is opened will cause the nut and, of course, the plunger plate to which it is secured, to move up within the cylinder, and thereby compress spring 25. When the door is released this spring, forcing, the plunger plate down, will everse the motion of the described parts and cause the door to close. The

plunger plate fits rather loosely within the vmiliar with this art, that the plunger plate can be fitted with any degree of nicety required to prevent such arapid escape of air from below the plunger plateas will prevent the door from slamming. f

.lVithin the cylinder' a'djacent the upper end thereof is a false end plate 30 with which the spring 10 engages; and this end plate may be adjusted up and down by means of set screws 31 soas to vary the tension of the spring 25 to any desired degree.

It will be noted that the shaft 12 isformed with two spiral grooves running in opposite directions; Only one of said grooves is necessary, but the presence of both enables the device to be very readily adjusted to either a right or left hand opening door. All that is necessary to do is to substitute for the plunger plate and nut which engages one of said spiral grooves, another plunger plate and nut which is adapted to engage the other spiral groove.

It is desirable to provide a door with means by which it can be held open to any desired extent. To efliect this result the downward extension of the shaft 12 is provided with a brake disk 35.

A rod 36 is mounted to slide radially in lugs 87 formed on the lower end of the cylinder, and it carries a brake shoe 38 on its inner end adapted to engage the periphery of the brake disk 35. A rocker 39 is mounted on the side of the cylinder, and this rocker is formed. with a beveled surface 39 on its inner face located so as to engage the outer end of the brake rod 36. This rocker is provided with two arms 40 by means of which it may be rocked in one direction or the other. When rocked in one direction the beveled surface on the rocker will by engaging the brake rod 36, force the brake into contact with the brake disk whereby the rotation of the shaft is prevented, and whereby therefore the door is heldagainst movement.

Having described my invention, 1 claim 1. In a door closing device, the combination of a cylinder, a shaft rotatably mounted therein having a steep spiral groove in its outer surface, a plunger plate which ismovable lengthwise only within said. cylinder and is provided with a nut which embraces the shaft and has an operative engagement with-the spiral groove thereon, a coil spring within the cylinder compressed between the upper head thereof and said plunger disk, a pinion fixed to the projecting upper end of said shaft, a gear rotatably mounted on the upper head of the cylinder in engagement with said pinion, and two toggle arms one of which is connected with said gear and the other of which is pivotally connected. with a bracket adapted to be connected with the door frame, the cylinder being provided with means for connecting it with the door.

2. In a door closing device, the combination of a cylinder adapted to be connected with the door, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, means through which the opening or closing of the door. is necessarily accom panied by a rotation of said shaft, a brake disk secured to said shaft, a brake positioned to co-operate with said disk and brake operating mechanism mounted upon the cylinder.

3. In a door closing device, the combination of a cylinder adapted to be connected with the door, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, means through which the opening or closing of the door is necessarily accompanied by a rotation of said shaft, a brake disk secured to said shaft, and brake operating mechanism mounted upon the cylinder, the cylinder having radial guides on its lower end, a bar slida-ble in said guides, a brake shoe'fixed to said bar for engagement with the periphery of the brake disk, a rocker pivotally mounted on the cylinder and having an inclined surface with which the end of said sbar engages.

L. In a door closing device, the combination of a cylinder adapted to be secured to a door, a false head movable lengthwise in the upper end of said cylinder, adjustment screws which screw through the cylinder head into engagement with said false head, a plunger plate which is movable lengthwise only in said cylinder, and a coil. spring com-pressed between said plunger plate and false head, an axially disposed shaft which is rotatably mounted in the ends of the cylinder, and a steep spiral. groove on its outer surface said plunger plate being provided with a nut which embraces said shaft and opearatively engages the spiral groove therein, a pinion fixed to the upper end of said shaft, agear rotatably mounted on the head of the cylinder in engagement with said pinion, and two toggle arms one of which is connected with said gear and the other of which is pivotally connected to the'bracket adapted to be connected with the door frame;

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature.

JOSEPH B; HARRIS. 

